Signal transmission cable adapted to pass through hinge assembly

• US 20060042820A1
• Filed: 08/18/2005
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Flexible Circuits Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Advanced Flexible Circuits Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Su, Kuo-Fu, Chuo, Chih-Heng, Lin, Gwun-Jin
• Granted Patent: US 7,470,862 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 174/117.F
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/028 Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits H05K1/0283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/118 specially for flexible printed circuits, e.g. using folded portions
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/056 Folded around rigid support or component
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09063 Holes or slots in insulating substrate not used for electrical connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/1034 Edge terminals, i.e. separate pieces of metal attached to the edge of the printed circuit board [PCB]

Abstract

A signal transmission cable adapted to pass through a hinge assembly includes a flexible circuit substrate; a first connection section formed at a first end of the flexible circuit substrate and having a plurality of signal transmission lines provided thereon; a second connection section formed at a second end of the flexible circuit substrate and having a plurality of signal transmission lines provided thereon; and a cluster section formed on the flexible circuit substrate between the first and the second connection section, and having a plurality of signal transmission lines provided thereon to connect at two ends to the signal transmission lines on the first and the second connection section, respectively. The cluster section includes a plurality of clustered flat cables, which are formed by cutting the flexible circuit substrate along a plurality of paralleled cutting lines extended in the lengthwise direction of the flexible circuit substrate.

Claims

1. A signal transmission cable, comprising:

a flexible circuit substrate provided with a plurality of signal transmission lines;

a first connection section formed at a first end of the flexible circuit substrate and having a plurality of signal transmission lines;

a first connector provided on the first connection section;

a second connection section formed at a second end of the flexible circuit substrate and having a plurality of signal transmission lines;

a second connector provided on the second connection section; and

a cluster section formed at a middle section of the flexible circuit substrate between the first and the second connection section, and having a plurality of signal transmission lines connected at two ends to the signal transmission lines on the first and the second connection section respectively;

the cluster section including a plurality of clustered flat cables, which are formed by cutting the flexible circuit substrate along a plurality of paralleled cutting lines extended in the lengthwise direction of the flexible circuit substrate;

the clustered flat cables being independently and freely bendable, and each of the clustered flat cables including at least one signal transmission line therein; and

areas on the first and the second connection section at two lateral sides of the first and the second connector being downward foldable to overlap each other below the first and the second connector, respectively.

2. The signal transmission cable as claimed in claim 1, further comprising two insulating plates provided at a lower surface of the first and the connection section below the first and the second connector, respectively.

3. The signal transmission cable as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first connection section is provided on a lower surface at two lateral sides with an adhering layer each, and the areas at two lateral sides of the first connector downward folded to overlap each other below the first connector being fixed in place via the two adhering layers;

and wherein the second connection section is provided on a lower surface at two lateral sides with an adhering layer each, and the areas at two lateral sides of the second connector downward folded to overlap each other below the second connector being fixed in place via the two adhering layers.

4. The signal transmission cable as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an upper insulating layer and an upper shielding layer sequentially provided at an upper side of the flexible circuit substrate, and a lower insulating layer and a lower shielding layer sequentially provided at a lower side of the flexible circuit substrate.

5. The signal transmission cable as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible circuit substrate further includes a pair of long folding slots in addition to the a plurality of paralleled cutting lines, such that the flexible circuit substrate may be longitudinally folded along the two folding slots for the areas at two lateral sides of the first and the second connection section to be downward folded to overlap each other below the first and the second connector.

6. A signal transmission cable adapted to pass through a hinge assembly having at least one hole, comprising:

a flexible circuit substrate provided with a plurality of signal transmission lines;

a first connection section formed at a first end of the flexible circuit substrate and having a plurality of signal transmission lines;

a second connection section formed at a second end of the flexible circuit substrate and having a plurality of signal transmission lines; and

a cluster section formed at a middle section on the flexible circuit substrate between the first and the second connection section, and having a plurality of signal transmission lines connected at two ends to the signal transmission lines on the first and the second connection section respectively;

said cluster section including a plurality of clustered flat cables, which are formed by cutting the flexible circuit substrate along a plurality of paralleled cutting lines extended in the lengthwise direction of the flexible circuit substrate;

the flat cables being independently and freely bendable, and each of the clustered flat cables including at least one signal transmission line therein; and

the cluster section of the flexible circuit substrate being extended through the hole provided on the hinge assembly with the first and the second section located at two opposite sides of the hole on the hinge assembly.

7. The signal transmission cable as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first connection section is provided on an upper surface with a first connector, and the second connection section is provided on an upper surface with a second connector.

8. The signal transmission cable as claimed in claim 7, further comprising two insulating plates provided at a lower surface of the first and the second connection section below the first and the second connector, respectively.

9. The signal transmission cable as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first connection section is provided on a lower surface at two lateral sides with an adhering layer each, and the second connection section is provided on a lower surface at two lateral sides with an adhering layer each.

10. The signal transmission cable as claimed in claim 6, further comprising an upper insulating layer and an upper shielding layer sequentially provided at an upper side of the flexible circuit substrate, and a lower insulating layer and a lower shielding layer sequentially provided at a lower side of the flexible circuit substrate.

11. The signal transmission cable as claimed in claim 6, wherein the flexible circuit substrate further includes a pair of long folding slots in addition to the a plurality of paralleled cutting lines, such that the flexible circuit substrate may be longitudinally folded along the two folding slots for areas at two lateral sides of the first and the second connection section to be downward folded to overlap each other.